Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  Wicked by Shemekia Copeland


Wicked cover art

Artist: Shemekia Copeland
Title: Wicked
Catalogue Number: Alligator ALCD 4875
Review Format: CD
Release Year: 2000



With this second release by Shemekia Copeland you get a feeling that you're in for a great album right from the raucous opening track "It's 2am", featuring Sugar Blue on harmonica.  And you'd be absolutely right.  She provides a great balance between up tempo stormers, and late night blues ballads.  This is Shemekia at her very best.


With "Love Scene" we have a gentle mid tempo romantic sort of number, and then the slower blues of "The Other Woman" tells of the heartbreak of another woman stealing your man, compounded even more when you find you are the other woman!  "Miss Hy Ciditty" is an altogether funkier and grittier blues, while "Wild, Wild Woman" is a return to a driving up tempo blues sound.  "If He Moves His Lips" features Atlantic R&B legend Ruth Brown with a 'tongue-in-cheek' song implying you can't trust a word your man says when it comes to love - well really, perish the thought!!!


If you've never heard Shemekia Copeland before then this would be a good place to start.  However, be warned, you should then budget for acquiring the rest of her albums.


www.shemekiacopeland.com
Reviewer:
Review Date: June 21 2007